GCCC Men Blitz Bethel; Women Hold on Against Lamar
Garden City, KS (westernkansasnews.com) The wrap up to the two day Pepsi Classic from the Dennis Perryman Athletic Complex in Garden City had two different scripts for the Garden City Community College Basketball team.
For the men it was their final tuneup before the twenty-six game league schedule started the following Saturday against Butler. Put through a stretch of playing four games in five days the offense lit it up with seven players scoring in double figures as the Broncbusters (4-0) hammered Bethel’s JV 120-67.
Men’s Highlights
Garden had a pair of sixty point halves and had 39 points in the first ten minutes of the game. Sophomore guard Josh Fleming led all scorers for the second straight night with 17 including 10 through the first 10 minutes of the game. He and Aaron Ray were the only ones for Garden City with multiple three pointers. Fleming finished the game going 4-8 from long distance.
The Broncbusters outrebounded Bethel 50-31. Anei Anei and Jefkins Aguymen-Budu each pulled in eight boards to lead the team. Garden City shot 60% in the second half and 57 percent in coasting to the win.
Bethel’s Dakota Foster shot lights out from the outside with 30 points on 10 of 22 shooting including 7 of 13 from beyond the arc and 6 of 9 shooting in the second half. Chase Collins was the only other player for the Threshers in double figures with 10.
GCCC Coach Brady Trinkle Post-game Comments
Women’s Highlights First Half
Women’s Highlights Second Half
For the GCCC women (2-1) they won 65-62, but let a big lead slip away against (0-2) Lamar. The Buster built a 15 point lead midway through the third quarter, but on the strength of performances from Kiara Budd who scored 8 of her 10 points in the final quarter and center Damilola Balogun the Runnin’ Lopes pulled even at 61 late.
That is when Broncbuster guard Monica Barefield showed the qualities of a leader hitting now only a big three in the final minutes, her only made trey in six attempts during the game, but a driving layup to push the Broncbusters ahead 63-61 with 32 second left.
After a stop on Lamar’s next possession, Tionnia McKey hit two more free throws to allow for a little more breathing room.
For the game Garden outrebounded Lamar 45-32 and despite hitting just 6/27 outside shots for 22 percent were able to do just enough to win the game after suffering a two point loss to Northern New Mexico on Friday.
DaRae Lewis followed her 18 rebound performance on Friday with a dozen boards on Saturday and was one of three Busters with 2 blocked shots each (McKee and Barefield). Four GCCC players hit double figures in scoring led by McKee’s 15, Barefield had 13 and Kavita Akula 12.
Post players Damilola Balogun and Sabel Reigosa Pernas had 28 points combined for Lamar (Balogun 17 and Pernad 11). Neither team shot well from the line, Garden at 11-19 and Lamar 10-20.
GCCC Coach Nick Salazar Post-game Comments
Both the Broncbuster men and women will have a week to prepare for their conference opener Saturday when they host Butler. Women will tip-off at 6 and the men at 8.
